A severe blizzard in the United States has brought life to a standstill, and 30 people have died in various accidents caused by the snowfall.
Washington, New York, Texas, Oklahoma, New Jersey, and dozens of other states are experiencing heavy snowfall and rain along with cold winds.
Due to the blizzard, 19,000 flights across the U.S. have been canceled, and federal offices in Washington are closed. From Arkansas to New England, more than a foot of snow has fallen, and severe weather has led to road closures and school shutdowns.
In the northern areas of Pittsburgh, snowfall of up to 20 inches was recorded, and temperatures dropped to minus 31 degrees Celsius. Some areas are experiencing the harshest cold in decades. In New York City, the bodies of 8 people were found in open areas.
Due to rain and snowstorms, more than 1 million people are without electricity. Severe cold warnings have been issued for nearly 200 million people across 44 states, and a state of emergency has been declared in 24 states.
The meteorological department has warned that in the coming days, even more severe cold and possibly another blizzard could affect the eastern coastal areas.
Major Gulf carriers have cancelled and rescheduled multiple flights to the United States as Winter Storm Fern brings heavy snow, ice and strong winds across large parts of North America, triggering widespread disruption at major airports.
Emirates has cancelled more than a dozen Dubai–US services between January 24 and 26, affecting routes to New York, Washington and Dallas, as well as tag flights operating via Milan and Athens. The airline said it is not accepting connecting passengers booked on the cancelled sectors and has advised customers to check flight status before travelling.
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has also cancelled select Abu Dhabi–US flights because of the storm. The airline is rebooking affected passengers on alternative services or offering refunds in line with its travel waiver policy.
Qatar Airways, meanwhile, has warned of potential disruption on services from Doha to key US hubs including Dallas–Fort Worth, New York JFK, Washington Dulles and Boston, citing adverse weather conditions and operational constraints at destination airports.
Airlines including Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai and Qatar Airways have issued travel updates cautioning passengers about cancellations, suspensions and delays as the situation evolves.
Advisories indicate that several long-haul services between the Gulf and North America have been pulled from schedules during the peak impact period of the storm, including flights linking Doha, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabian gateways with major US airports.
The flight cuts come as US airports cancel thousands of services nationwide. Major New York–area hubs alone have recorded hundreds of cancellations, compounding disruption across the transatlantic network.
Gulf travellers heading to or transiting through the United States are facing long delays, missed connections and last-minute itinerary changes, despite airlines offering flexible rebooking options and urging passengers to monitor updates closely before heading to the airport.
